Do Seniors Need Special Vitamins?

By Kevin McClarren, 9:00 am on July 8, 2015

While vitamin supplements can help your elderly love one get all the vitamins he or she needs to live a long life, eating a diet that is rich in certain vitamins may be more effective. At Home Care Assistance in Bridgewater, our senior care experts have compiled a list of some of the most important vitamins for seniors. Read on to learn about three vitamins that can promote your elderly loved one’s health.

1. Vitamin B6Older people tend to consume less protein and metabolize Vitamin B6 faster, which means they need higher doses of this vitamin than younger people. As B6 plays a big part in maintaining a healthy metabolism, supporting the immune system, and lowering the risk of heart disease, it’s important to incorporate this vitamin in your loved one’s diet. Naturally found in chickpeas, potatoes, fortified cereals, and fortified soy products, you can easily include foods that are rich in Vitamin B6 in your loved one’s daily meals. For a scrumptious dish packed with B6, try making your loved one an omelet with fresh slices of avocado and turkey.

2. Vitamin B12As stomach acid levels decrease with age, so does the amount of B12 in the body. A lack of this critical vitamin can lead to pernicious anemia and other health conditions. For easy ways to incorporate this vitamin into your loved one’s diet, have a family member or an hourly caregiver in Bridgewater make meals that include dairy products, fish, poultry, or fortified cereals. Try a baked chicken with fresh herbs like rosemary for an easy and delicious B12-rich dish that your relative will love.

3. Vitamin DAlso known as the Sunshine Vitamin, levels of Vitamin D decrease as your loved one’s skin ages. This vitamin, which keep bones, muscles, the immune system, and brain/body communication working correctly, primarily enters the body through sun exposure, but it can also be found in certain foods, including fatty fish, fish liver oils, and fortified milk or cereal. Ensure your loved one is getting the amount of Vitamin D he or she needs by frequently serving salmon and other fish, as well as encouraging your loved one to put on some sunscreen and get out in the sun for several minutes every day.

If you’re interested in promoting your senior loved one’s health and wellness, a professional caregiver at Home Care Assistance can help. Our hourly and live-in caregivers in Bridgewater are expertly trained in revolutionary caregiving methods that support senior physical, emotional, and cognitive health. To learn more about how our proprietary caregiving approaches can benefit your elderly loved one, call a knowledgeable Care Manager at 908.450.9400. Our Care Managers would be happy to answer your questions and to set up a complimentary in-home consultation.